The Force of Magic
by ChelleyBean
Summary: SW/HP Crossover. This was my first fic. I've moved it yet again, from Star Wars to here. Feel sorry for Obi-Wan. He needs the sympathy.
1. Legal Foo

Here's my disclaimer:  
  
I don't own the characters from Harry Potter. That's J.K. Rowling's brainchild.  
  
I don't own the guys from Star Wars, either. I fear that Mr. Lucas is just a bit too stingy where Obi-Wan is concerned. *big sigh*  
  
And another thing: No one sue. I don't have any money, so it'd be a waste of both our time. This is just proof that my imagination gets away from me sometimes. Best way to blow off some steam is to torment the rest of the world with it. =) 


	2. He's a good guy! Who knew?

The Force of Magic  
  
"Ron, you're stepping on my foot!"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
The trio moved through the corridor under the cover of Harry's cloak of invisibility. They were trying to find a place to hide until it was safe to come out. Hiding because Voldemort had somehow gotten into the school and was right now trying to find Harry.  
  
"You two don't have to come, too. I can hide on my own."  
  
"Of course you can," Hermione said as she led the way, "but if Voldemort caught Ron or myself you would feel as though you had to come back. That simply wouldn't do. Besides, the three of us are much stronger if we're together." She was right, of course. Still, Harry hated the thought of Ron and Hermione putting themselves in danger like this.  
  
They came to the landing at the top of the fifth floor and hurried as quietly as they could to where they knew a secret passage lay hidden behind a mirror. Hermione extended her wand and whisper 'alohamora', causing the opaque glass to become more transparent. All three drew a shocked gasp when they saw who was already in the passage.  
  
"Ah, the three heroes. So good of you to join me." Voldemort stepped out of the magic doorway, grinning down at what he couldn't possibly see. "Ascio cloak!" Harry's precious cloak whipped away from them and into the dark lord's waiting hand. "Harry Potter, at last."  
  
Ron and Hermione instinctively put themselves between Harry and Voldemort, but he was having none of that. With a determined set of his chin, he pushed his way between them to stand in front, green eyes snapping at his enemy. "You don't belong here."  
  
Voldemort only laughed. "Courage, such courage! You are very much like your father, young Potter. But very much like your mother, as well. Wouldn't you say so, Severus?"  
  
Harry blinked in shock as Professor Snape walked out from behind Voldemort, his black cape billowing around him. He looked down at Harry with that enigmatic stare of his.  
  
"I knew it, I knew you'd go bad!" Hermione glared at the potions master. Ron growled something deep in his throat.  
  
"Go bad? Severus was with me before and he is with me again! I have forgiven him for his little fall from grace. And to prove it, I am going to let him be the one to dispose of you all."  
  
The children clung close together as Snape pulled out his wand. Harry didn't often see Snape use his wand. The potions master preferred to use his cauldron to work his magic.  
  
The wizard began to mutter an incantation and the children saw the end of his wand begin to glow. Voldemort looked on in malicious glee as something bright and swirling began to grow underneath them.  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/  
  
The Jedi council was just about to dismiss Qui-Gon and his apprentice when something bright and swirling began appeared on the ceiling of the council chambers. To all present it felt as though the Force had been sucked into one place that began to grow in size.  
  
"Harry! Harry I'm falling!" A voice, a young girl, was heard. She sounded frightened.  
  
"Hang on, Hermione! Ron, grab her!"  
  
"Too late!"  
  
A high picked shriek was heard and a small form dressed in black fell out of the vortex and landed with a thump onto the floor of the council chambers.  
  
"Hermione! Hermione, answer me!"  
  
The form, clearly a young girl, moaned and tried to roll over so she could stand. Mace Windu rose from his seat with a fluid motion and grabbed hold of the girl to help her. In the vortex more sounds could be heard. Two young children, a cold, cruel laugh and the muttering of a man.  
  
"Ron! We're slipping!"  
  
"I know! There's nothing to grab on to!"  
  
Two more screams sounded out and two more forms fell from the vortex. This time it was that of two boys. One had red hair and fell the same way as the girl. The other was a skinny boy with dark hair and some sort of vision enhancer over his eyes, who landed atop the other boy and did not take as long to recover. "Ron! Ron are you all right?"  
  
From the vortex the laughter stopped. "What's this? I can still hear him! Severus, you have botched it! Where have you sent them?"  
  
The incantation cut off sharply. "We're you'll never reach them, Voldemort. Some place safe from you!"  
  
"TRAITOR!" There were loud sounds of fire and energy above. Both men were shouting at one another until another dark form, this one an adult, came falling through the vortex.  
  
"Professor!" Harry crawled over to the figure of Severus Snape to make sure he was all right. He was barely aware of people in this new place rising to their feet and moving to help. Strong but gentle hands tried to pull him away from the teacher, but Harry fought to stay by his side.  
  
"P… Potter, are you all right?" Snape seemed to be in a great deal of pain, what little color he had ever had to his face washed out. "Did you come through… all right?"  
  
"Yes, Professor. Hermione and Ron, too. We're all safe, you saved us." He saw a tall man in brown and white robes kneeling down beside the teacher to ensure he was in one piece. "It's okay now; you're going to be fine."  
  
"HARRY POTTER!" The boy's head snapped up as Voldemort's voice came erupting through the vortex. A burst of green lightening came shooting through the swirling light, striking Harry and hurling him back towards a wall. He heard Professor Snape yelling something, then saw a beam of light cut between the lightening and himself. Without the energy to hold him there, the boy fell to the floor. He looked up to see another man, also in brown and white robes, holding what looked to be some kind of sword. Only this sword was made of light and it was absorbing the spell as though it were nothing. Snape held up his wand in a weak, trembling hand and muttered an incantation. A bolt of light erupted from the end and struck the vortex, causing it to seal back up.  
  
The lightning stopped with the closing of the vortex, and the man before him dismissed his weapon before turning to kneel down at Harry's side. "Are you all right?" Harry looked up at the young man. He had short hair, except for a long, slender braid that hung above his right ear. In his robes he looked like some sort of old, medieval monk or priest, though he had never heard of a priest carrying a sword of light.  
  
Harry winced as he started to try and stand up. "I… I think so. A bit sore, but all there." He winced again as he started to brush off his wizard robes.  
  
"Let me go!" Hermione broke away from the stranger trying to calm her and ran over to him. "Are you all right, Harry?" She reached him and began checking him over for injuries.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you and Ron, and Snape?"  
  
"Ron and I are fine, just a few bruises." She looked over at the prone form of their teacher. Four of the strangers were leaning over him, and he still had not gotten up. He moved, but it was the guarded movements of someone in a great deal of pain. "I don't know about the Professor, though."  
  
"He tricked him!" Ron came over to stand with the others, his face registering shock. "Snape tricked Voldemort! He let him think he was going to kill us, but just sent us somewhere else instead!"  
  
Harry looked over at Snape, his brow furrowed in concern. "But where did he bring us?" He looked up at the man who had blocked Voldemort's attack. The stranger's face was serious, thoughtful. He had taken up a stance near the three students, as if to guard them. "Excuse me, where are we?"  
  
The stranger's face softened into a gentle smile. "You are in the Jedi Temple on the planet of Coruscant. Within the council chambers, to be exact." A door opened on the other side of the room and three people in flowing robes entered. "Ah, the healers. They'll see to your… you called him a 'professor?'"  
  
Hermione nodded. "Yes, Professor Severus Snape. He's our potions master." She was standing on her tip toes, trying to peer over the healers crowded around Snape. "What are they doing to him?"  
  
"Treating his injuries. He took quite a fall." Two more healers came through the door and walked over to the children. "All of you did." He smiled at the newcomers and bowed slightly. "Master Bel'ar, Padawan Mais."  
  
The older healer returned the bow. "Padawan Kenobi." The man turned his kind smile towards the students who pulled together more closely. "There's no need to fear, young ones. I merely need to make sure you are not injured."  
  
"Oh, you should check Harry first, then. He's the one what got blasted." Hermione nodded in agreement with Ron.  
  
"I'm all right, I mean it. It doesn't even hurt anymore."  
  
"Still, child, I would like to be sure of that myself." The Jedi Healer was amused at the boy's grumblings, but he did submit to examination. "There was a great Force attack, dark side of the Force to be sure. But you're strong in your own right, young one. It protected you."  
  
"Force? Is that what you call magic here? Are you all wizards, then?"  
  
"Some may call us that, but most know us as Jedi." The healer examined Ron and Hermione as well. When he was done, Snape was being levitated off of the ground and moved.  
  
"Wait! Where you taking him?" Harry moved to go to the teacher's side, but Padawan Kenobi stopped him.  
  
"Be at ease. They are taking him to the infirmary, where he will be cared for. Trust the healers, they are quite good. Besides, I think the council will have some questions for you." 


	3. We're Not in Kansas Anymore

Again, the HP kids (and teacher) aren't mine. Neither are the folks from Star Wars.  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\  
  
We're Not in Kansas Anymore  
  
The council members studied the three children closely. They were nervous. This was understandable. They were close. This was quite interesting. A Force bond existed between the three of them, binding them more tightly than any three siblings could have managed.  
  
The boy called Harry stood in front. He kept his shoulders back and stood straight. He was trying to put forth a good face by concentrating on keeping his jaw from shaking, unaware that the beings surrounding them could read his thoughts as easily as his text books.  
  
The other two, the boy called Ron and the girl they called Hermione, stood close to their friend. The Jedi healers had repaired the bruises and scratches, though there was still dirt and dust the trio had somehow managed to get on themselves during their journey here.  
  
Yoda rested his chin atop his hands as they sat folded on the top of his gimmer stick. "Who are you?"  
  
The central child blinked at the diminutive creature, then nodded slightly to himself. "I'm Harry Potter. These are my friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." The other two children mumbled quiet greetings. Ron was looking around at all the non-human members of the council. Hermione seemed to be more interested in the light sabers, though she refrained from asking for a closer inspection of one.  
  
Master Windu seemed to be measuring the children in his mind before speaking. "Where do you come from?"  
  
"Hogwarts. That's the name of our school, anyway. Our world is known as Earth."  
  
"Earth." The Master Jedi rolled the word over on his tongue. Mentally, he took a quiet poll of every member of the council. "We are not familiar with this world. What system is it in?"  
  
Harry looked over his shoulder at Ron. Ron shrugged and offered an idea. "Let Hermione explain. She probably knows anyway."  
  
Before Harry could ask the girl for her point of view, she stepped forward. "Right, then. All right." She took a breath in preparation and the boys braced themselves for the lecture. "We're from Earth, in the Sol star system, in the Milky Way Galaxy." The paused and looked around the council chambers. "Am I correct in assuming we're not anywhere near there now?"  
  
The council members did not respond, only looked at one another enigmatically before Mace nodded once. The girl arched one brow in a decidedly less than pleased fashion before resuming. "Well, as to whom we are, we're students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A very old institution with very old customs. The man your healers took away was Severus Snape, the potions master. Usually we can't stand him, but he seems to have saved our lives."  
  
"Young Harry's life most of all." Yoda trained his eyes back to the central child. Very strong in the Force, that one was. All three were, but he was exceptionally powerful. "Tell us, who sent the lightening?"  
  
Ron shivered. Harry set his jaw in a perturbed manner. Hermione sniffed as though she remembered something unpleasant, and continued. "That was Lord Voldemort, a wizard. Sadly, not all wizard and witches are good. Some are bad, and *he* is as bad as they come. Unfortunately, he despises Harry more than anyone else in existence."  
  
Several pairs of eyes focused on the boy in glasses. He did his best to pretend he didn't notice. Hermione continued as if she found nothing amiss.  
  
"You see, Voldemort wanted to be in power. He wanted to control *everything* and he gathered followers to help him. We were just babies then, but everyone knows the story. If you went against him, you died. Harry's parents decided to defy him, and he came to their home to kill them." She paused and looked over her shoulder at the boy in question for a long moment. He took a breath and nodded to her, forcing a smile.  
  
"It's all right, Hermione. I've learned to live with it."  
  
The girl bit her bottom lip for a moment, then nodded before turning back to the council. "Voldemort killed James Potter, then went upstairs to finish off Lily and baby Harry. Only, Harry's mother sacrificed herself to try and protect her son. It worked, oddly enough. When Voldemort turned his magic on Harry, it backfired on him and… well… broke him."  
  
She stopped, as though everything was explained. The council members communicated in their silent way again, the Force sending messages through their shared thoughts. Finally, it was Qui-Gon, apart from the council but still standing in the back of the room, who spoke. "How was he 'broken'?"  
  
Ron turned around and looked at the large man. "Just that. He was broken. His body was gone, and what was left of him had to stick itself to other people to survive. It was really creepy. But then, last year, he did a spell that gave him back his body."  
  
"And cancelled the protection Harry's mother gave him."  
  
The two speakers fell silent, unsure of how to continue. It was Harry who finally spoke. "He was trying to kill us when Snape sent us here. Well, trying to kill me. Ron and Hermione wouldn't go on like I asked them to."  
  
"Good and loyal friends are a treasure, young wizard. You should not be so eager to part from them." The Jedi stepped forward. "I am Qui-Gon Jin. This is my Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi." He proceeded to introduce the council members by name, putting the children on slightly more equal footing than they had been. "It seems as though the four of you are in need of shelter."  
  
"Agreed." Mace leaned to one side in his usual pose of resting against one arm. The council had been debating in silence as Qui-Gon lulled the children into calmness with his gentle voice. In truth, he had always envied the Jedi Master that skill. Mace had always been found too harsh and intimidating by most of the young Padawans. In contrast, the learners all hoped that they could be the next apprentice for Master Qui-Gon. If his friend would just adhere to the Code more closely, he would be on the council by now. But when the Council rarely left the temple, the Jedi would be losing an extremely valuable agent. Perhaps Qui-Gon's rebellious nature was a blessing.  
  
"Master Qui-Gon, two rooms near yours there are." Yoda's ears perked up with the idea. "Look over these young ones, you and your Padawan will."  
  
The two Jedi bowed slightly in acceptance. "We would be honored, Master Yoda."  
  
Obi-Wan smiled at the children as he straightened back up. "I don't suppose you're hungry? I'm afraid we got called in here before I could manage anything for breakfast."  
  
As if answering of its own accord, Ron's stomach rumbled loudly. He managed a less than comfortable smile as Hermione rolled her eyes towards the ceiling and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "boys".  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/  
  
"That lightening was of the Dark Side of the Force."  
  
Yoda nodded in response to Master Windu. "Powerful, it was, full of hate. A powerful enemy Young Potter has. And powerful allies."  
  
"The Force is strong with all three of them, though if this 'professor' is any sign, they do not connect with it as we do."  
  
"Speak with him, we will, when he is awakened. Much we can learn from these visitors."  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/  
  
Severus Snape, Potions Master for Hogwarts, was playing opossum. He was old enough and wise enough to know that the people tending to his injuries were most likely aware he was playing opossum. Still, he continued to lay there, eyes closed, as he pondered what he had done.  
  
He had remembered the incantation *exactly* the way Dumbledore had told it to him. He could still remember what the wizened man had told him. 'It is a safe place, a secure place. But it is also a place of adventure and danger. Go there only if you have no other choice, Severus. Go there only if life is at stake.'  
  
Life *had* been at stake.  
  
He called up the image of Harry Potter into his mind and felt the knife twist in his heart as it always did. So much like James, that boy. The hair that refused to lay flat. The stubborn chin. The slight build that made him such an outstanding Seeker. If he could concentrate on the things that were so much like James, he could keep it in his mind that he was supposed to be cold to the boy.  
  
But then he'd see those eyes. Those brilliant, too green eyes. He couldn't keep up his dislike for the boy for long when he locked gazes with him.  
  
*Lily.*  
  
He had been a fool, of course, all those years ago. She had been a natural talent, born of Muggles but a promising witch. If she had been willing to choose a life beside a Slytherin student, she could have ruled the world. If she had only fallen in love with him instead of Potter. But she hadn't loved him, and she had loved Potter. He had felt his whole world crumble about him when he learned they were to be married. He had felt as if someone had stabbed him through with a sword when he learned she was to have a child.  
  
Potter's child. Little Harry. But also Lily's child. That was why he couldn't hate the boy. He could never hate Lily, and he was part of her as well.  
  
Lily was gone, and James with her. Harry, however, lived on. As long as there was breath in his body, there was something of Lily remaining as well. Snape knew that he would tear down the walls of Azkaban with his bare hands to keep that part of her alive.  
  
'I will protect him, Lily. I'll keep your son safe. I can never call him mine, but I will always watch over him because he is yours.'  
  
The wizard drew a deep breath and opened his eyes. It was time to learn of this place he had brought his students to. 


	4. You Expected Them to Behave?

You Expected Them to Behave?  
  
Snape did speak with the Council members. The children weren't there for it. They didn't even know he'd left the infirmary until that night. The trio had followed Obi-Wan to the cafeteria were the Jedi currently in residence at the Temple, and the students still training there, took their meals. The faire available to them was different from what they were used to, but the children were nothing if not adventurous. The Padawan found himself deluged with questions ranging from what the names of certain dishes were to what type of things a student learned at the Jedi Temple.  
  
"That light sword you use, does everyone here have them?" If the Jedi had known the children well enough, the fact that question came from Ron and not the ever knowledge thirsty Hermione would have surprised him. As it was, he was merely amused by their interests.  
  
"No, only those with Jedi training carry them. Building one of your own is a test of your training."  
  
"How do you build one?" That was Hermione. Their host smiled at her and she forgot to breathe for a second. And why shouldn't she forget to breathe? She was the perfect age to start thinking of romance and silliness. Of course, this was also Hermione Granger, which meant that curiosity won out over the lure of a handsome young man.  
  
"I can't tell you that. It's a secret." His good looks and boyish charm were quickly forgotten in the wake of his denying her some knew bit of information. She narrowed her eyes in a fashion Ron and Harry knew all too well meant she was put out about one thing or another. The boys lowered their attention to the plates before them.  
  
The Padawan was patient and attentive, almost as if enjoying the time he was spending with these newcomers. After the meal he took them on a tour of the Temple, but only in the areas he knew the Council would not disapprove of. Again he risked Hermione's wrath when he refused, out and out refused, to show them the archives.  
  
"He's asking for it," Ron whispered to Harry as they tried not to laugh at their friend shooting daggers at Kenobi's back. So much for teenage crushes.  
  
The trials of the day eventually caught up with the children as the adrenaline rush of recent events died out. Satisfied that they were at last weary enough to of little trouble, Obi-Wan guided them towards the rooms he and his master shared. To the left side of their home was another small suite of rooms where Harry and Ron were to stay, each boy with his own bedroom. On the right side, they were told, was a single bedroom chamber where Professor Snape was already residing, needing further rest after speaking with the council. Hermione would stay in the suite where Qui- Gon and Obi-Wan lived, the Master Jedi having already fashioned the comfortable sofa into a more than pleasant bed. Obi-Wan saw the boys tucked away in their beds, amazed at how they were asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows. Then he returned to the central quarters to find Hermione snuggling down in the thick blankets, wearing one of his older tunics. He looked at his Master in puzzlement.  
  
'Mine were all too large for her, Young One. She's just a tiny little thing.' His eyes sparkled with humor as the girl pulled the covers over her head to block out the lights. Reaching out with the Force, he dimmed the room into darkness as Master and Padawan retreated to their own respective chambers for the evening.  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\  
  
Hermione had been willing to fall asleep quickly and deeply. She knew her friends too well to know that she'd be able to sleep for long. They granted her a good four hours, perhaps, before that all too familiar prickling sensation she had grown to love slithered across the nape of her neck. It was the sensation that alerted her to when a spell was being used. The door to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's apartment slid open under the coaxing of a simple charm.  
  
She sat up on the sofa and yawned sleepily as two dark shapes crept across the room towards her. "All right, Hermione?" Ron's voice whispered.  
  
"All right, Ron." She reached over and grabbed her robe from the back of the chair where she had draped them. This would be quicker if she didn't take the time to sneak into the 'fresher and dress back into her school uniform. Instead, she tugged on her socks and shoes then covered the worn tunic with her robe. Besides, who was going to be around to see her?  
  
The trio was silent as they left the apartment, wands in hand. Snape was apparently too bad off to be keeping his ear tuned for sounds of their mischief, even though he certainly knew better. The Jedi were all asleep, and any guards they encountered they were sure they could avoid. It would be easier if they had Harry's cloak, but they could make due with cleverness. The thought of discovering all the hidden places in this new and wondrous setting was too strong a lure for three children such as these.  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/  
  
'Why are you still sleeping, Padawan?'  
  
'I'm not, Master.'  
  
'Then what are you doing?'  
  
'Debating on whether or not I should get up.'  
  
'Should I tell you to do so?'  
  
Obi-Wan sighed and opened his eyes reluctantly. A small half smile played on his lips. 'No, Master. I'll go.'  
  
It was times like this he longed for the Trials so that he could be a full Knight. Then he could have his own Padawan to send out after errant children. He slipped a tunic over his sleep pants and padded out of his bedchamber on bare feet. Three strange children, all strong with the Force, running around the Temple in the dead of night. Little good could come out of such a thing. It was fortunate he was a Jedi and not a Sith. Those three were like a beacon, calling out through the Force. 'We'd best keep them safely within the Temple walls if they are to remain safe. A Darksider would find them too tempting to pass up.'  
  
A small point of light shone from far up the corridor, alerting him to their whereabouts. With a determined expression he followed. They were heading towards the archives, and he clearly remembered the longing expression on Hermione's face from earlier today.  
  
'Perhaps I should have taken her there anyway. Someone that eager to learn shouldn't be denied the chance.'  
  
The little light point he had been following suddenly extinguished. He stopped his pursuit and reached out through the Force. They had sensed him and were seeking to hide in darkness. 'That won't work my friends.' He shook his head, amused. If only they were a bit older, old enough for him to take outside the Temple walls and see the night life of Coruscant. It would certainly make for an interesting time.  
  
They were just children, not even Padawans. Oh, he knew that they could be, and if they weren't so old the Council probably would have snatched them up for training before they had even had a chance to hit the floor from that fall. As it was, they were civilians and he was on his way to becoming a full Jedi Knight. Why should he be wary of three relatively untrained, Force sensitive children?  
  
He rounded the corner, soundless on his bare feet. He could sense the three friends just up ahead. Taking a breath and schooling himself to adopt a stern tone of voice, he prepared to give them a gentle scolding for being up and about before he would shepherd them back to their beds. He was barely aware of a gentle build in the Force around him as his eyes sought out the silhouettes in the gloom.  
  
"Petrificus Totalis!"  
  
Imagine the shock and amazement running through a skilled Padawan's mind as he felt his body become stiff as the polished marbles of the hallway just before he fell backwards to land with an audible *thud*.  
  
"Lumos!" The pin prick of light was back, shining from a short length of wood, much like that Professor Snape had been using. Through his haze of shock, Obi-Wan thought that they probably should have confiscated the children's weapons before putting them to bed. Harry's face peered down at him, green eyes wary. "It's Obi-Wan." He had the grace to sound ashamed.  
  
"Oh no!" That was Hermione. Now that he was forced to be silent, he was able to remember that it had been her voice that had summoned the Force spell he was under now. Quite the precocious child, that one."  
  
"Well, Hermione. I guess that means you shouldn't be expecting any flowers from him any time soon." Ron snickered at his own remark. Harry pointed his wand to Obi-Wan's chest and whispered the counter curse that broke the spell. The Padawan sat up, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he had just been defeated by a fifteen-year-old girl.  
  
"Wha..? Ron! What a perfectly ridiculous thing to say!"  
  
"Oh really? So you weren't making puppy eyes at him all through lunch today?"  
  
Hermione's eyes grew as round as saucers, her mouth open in indignant shock. Harry was still crouched by the Jedi's side. "Uh oh. Here we go again."  
  
"I was *not* making puppy eyes!" She placed her hands on her hips, glaring at her friend. Obi-Wan saw that both children held a wand and frowned.  
  
"How likely are they to use those on one another?"  
  
"Oh, don't worry. One of these days they are going to realize that they're meant for each other. Of course, someone may have to beat that idea into the both of them, but it will happen." Harry was looking torn between amusement and discomfort as his best friends argued.  
  
"I know you, Hermione. A pretty face and you go all girlish on us."  
  
"I *am* a girl you idiot! Or are you too stupid to know the difference?"  
  
"Who are you calling an idiot?"  
  
"Well I'm pretty sure it wasn't Harry." She gathered herself up and lifted her tiny chin in the air. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to bed. I hardly know how I let the two of you drag me into doing this in the first place."  
  
"Drag you into it? You weren't having any trouble getting up for this. We didn't even have to ask. I just wondered how you managed to keep yourself from asking Lover Boy over there to join in."  
  
'Lover Boy?' Obi-Wan looked at Harry with the question clearly written on his face. Harry just rolled his eyes and shook his head as if to say that his dear friend Ron was being, as Hermione so eloquently put it, an idiot.  
  
Of course, that last jab seemed to have rubbed Hermione a little sore. Her eyes narrowed to shoot daggers at Ron, just before she walked over to Harry and Obi-Wan with a determined gait. Before the Padawan could think to try and decipher her intent, she cupped his cheeks in her slender hands and pressed her lips firmly against his.  
  
Everything went deathly quiet as the twenty-something Obi tried to quickly figure out the best way to break off the unsolicited kiss of a teenage girl without crushing her completely. Before he could determine the answer, however, she broke away from him, glared one last time at Ron, and then stalked off back down the corridors. Harry and Obi-Wan were left looking at a speechless Ron Weasley. He had gone deathly pale, as if his world had been snatched out from underneath him, disbelief etched on his face.  
  
The young wizard and Padawan managed to keep themselves quiet for all of ten seconds before both erupted into laughter. Harry and Obi-Wan leaned against one another for support, neither able to stop long enough to try and console the clearly dismayed Ron. 


	5. It's No Firebolt

It's No Firebolt  
  
Obi-Wan had taken Hermione to the archives (finally!). Harry imagined that she was already busy slaving away over some new and interesting bit of information. Ron had not been very good company since their adventure last night, so he'd left his friend to his sulking. Harry, wondering what was around every corner, eventually found himself in the top of one of the towers, looking through a large window at the many lanes of sky traffic.  
  
What a wondrous thing to be able to fly anywhere you wanted to go! Harry would love to be able to just hop onto his Firebolt and soar to any destination he could imagine, but such things were not allowed back home. Muggles would not be able to handle the knowledge of magic being used in such an open fashion. For the peace of mind of all, wizards continued to live in secret, apart from the Muggle world.  
  
If he closed his eyes, Harry could almost imagine being up in the air on his Firebolt, seeking out the Golden Snitch in a Quidditch game, his friends and fellow Gryffindors cheering him on. The wind was whipping through his wild hair, his robes flailing in the breeze. Draco Malfoy would be disgraced as he, Harry Potter, yet again grabbed the Snitch right out from underneath him, winning the game and the Quidditch Cup.  
  
"Fond memories you have."  
  
Harry turned to see Master Yoda approach, gliding silently on a cushioned disk. He had noticed that the tiny Jedi walked with his gimmer stick, but his pace was slow and appeared painful. It gave him some measure of relief that someone had thought to see to his comfort by giving him a way to avoid walking.  
  
"Fragile, I am not. Still, privileges age does have." He laughed a wry little chuckle, and Harry found himself grinning at the Jedi. "Miss flying, do you?"  
  
"Terribly."  
  
"Feeling of freedom, it gives you."  
  
"Complete freedom. My life, before Hogwarts, was horrible." He turned his head back toward the window. "After Voldemort killed my parents, I was sent to live with my mother's sister and her husband. They hated me, hated magic. They swore to rid me of my gift, but it didn't work. Dumbledore still found me, still managed to get me to Hogwarts so that I could learn." A sad smile crossed his face. "At Hogwarts I could learn why odd things happened around me. I could sit down at a table and finally eat my fill instead of having to go to bed starving. I have friends now. I'm no longer alone."  
  
"And flying gives you joy."  
  
"Yes, flying gives me joy. At home, back at Hogwarts, I have a Firebolt. It's the fastest racing broom ever! I'm the Quidditch Team Seeker for my house, I was the youngest in over a century to win that spot."  
  
Harry realized that he must sound as though he was bragging, and quickly fell silent. The Jedi was chuckling, eyes lit with merriment. "So many like to fly." He leaned forward to look closely at the young wizard. "A solution, I may have."  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\  
  
Hermione had enjoyed her time in the Archives. There was so much to learn! She didn't find anything that told her how to build a light saber, though. She didn't really need one, but it would be nice to have one. Besides, she was certain wands were better. After all, what could you do with a silly old light saber except slash at things? With a wand, you could do magic.  
  
Still, the Jedi were fascinating. They could levitate objects without using a charm spell. They could perform amazing feats of strength with the help of this Force they held so dear. It was the same as the magic she used, she knew this because it gave her the same sensation on the back her neck as she got when a spell was being cast near her. They simply had learned to use it with only their thoughts.  
  
'It must be nice, to be so attuned to magic. I don't think even Voldemort is that powerful.'  
  
If she, Harry and Ron could learn to use magic like the Jedi, then they would have a better chance of holding their own against the dark lord. Still, from what she had learned so far, it took years to become a Jedi. Obi-Wan had been with Qui-Gon for twelve years now, and he had been at the Temple a good twelve years or more before that. She had learned that gifted infants were usually taken from their families before they were a year old and brought here to the temple. She certainly wouldn't have been willing to give up that particular bit of her life, but the logic set forth as to why made sense. By doing so, the Jedi avoided strong bonds between parent and child that would weaken resolve and cloud thinking. Reading some of the histories on how some Jedi would fall to evil, much like Lord Voldemort had fallen, she could see their side of things.  
  
But still. to have no mother or father. What a truly lonely childhood that must be. Then again, if you were that young you weren't as likely to miss it as someone who had everything. Actually, she should amend that. Harry had never known his parents, but he still missed not having a mother and father, and the closest he had, his god-father Sirius Black, he couldn't be with because the wizard had been falsely accused of horrible crimes. Perhaps it was that all of the children here at the Temple were in the same situation. All of them were raised without parents, so they didn't fully realize what they were missing. From what she could tell, the connection between Master and Padawan was very much like that of parent and child. Obi-Wan looked upon Qui-Gon as something of a father figure as well as a mentor. In return, Qui-Gon clearly held a warm, secure place in his heart for his apprentice.  
  
'That would be something, to have such close one-on-one instruction. If we did the same at Hogwarts, I'd want to be Professor McGonagall's apprentice. No doubt Dumbledore would choose Harry, but where would that leave Ron?' The vision of Ron being stuck with an ever rotating master because the school could never manage to keep a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher made her giggle softly.  
  
She shook her head to clear it of the silly scene now inhabiting it, but it was no use. She continued to see Ron trying to mimic Mad Eye Moody's stern expression, but unable to copy the man's magic eye as it rolled around in the craggy face. Besides, there weren't enough competent witches and wizards to entrust with the education of young student. It took a rare and special individual to be a good teacher. She sighed and was just about to call up the next file when the sound of laughter floated through the hall outside the archive door.  
  
The doors opened and Harry and Ron appeared, hovering on a pair of floating disks that looked suspiciously like Master Yoda's hover pad. "See, I told you she'd still be here." Ron grinned, always happy when he was right.  
  
"I never questioned you." Harry ignored the somewhat put-upon attitude of the Temple's librarian and floated over towards a bemused Hermione. "Come on. Master Yoda gave us all one of these hover pads to use. It's not as agile as a broomstick, but it's a lot of fun."  
  
"And just *why* would I want to go flying around on a hover pad?" Honestly, didn't the boys ever spend any time being serious? Or even behaving like the nearly-adult fifteen-year-olds that they were? Of course, girls did mature more quickly and therefo.  
  
"Because it's fun, it's the closest we're likely to a broomstick until Dumbledore brings us back to Hogwarts, it will annoy Snape and," Ron paused, trying to think of something else, "because Master Yoda wanted to test us in something."  
  
"Master Yoda?" That got her attention. She had read no fewer than six books already on the tiny Jedi, and she found that he was, here at least, held in even higher esteem that their own beloved Dumbledore. It would be rude of her not to join in. "Why didn't you say so?"  
  
Both boys grinned as she began to put away her data crystals. The third pad was hovering behind them, as though patiently for its rider. Ron smiled broadly, and then made a grand show of bowing, offering a hand to Hermione in order to help her up onto her hover pad. She blinked, and then blushed shyly as she accepted the offer. She often forgot just how charming Ron could be, when he wasn't bristling like a hedgehog.  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Snape was not in a good mood. He didn't like this place, with its constant run of buildings. How could these people live without rolling hills, open skies, ancient trees!? He missed the grounds of Hogwarts fiercely and found himself fervently hoping that Dumbledore would get rid of that tiresome creature soon. He would be all too happy to bid a fond farewell to these Jedi and their endless questions.  
  
They had let the children pretty much go their own way, he noted with a sneer. Snape, however, had spent most of his free time being interrogated by one or more of the higher ranking Jedi Masters. They quizzed him on everything, from the construction of a wand to the various methods of casting spells and charms. He could tell that the Jedi didn't fully trust him, and when he had asked the bald one, he believed they called him Windu, he had been told that it was because the "Dark Side" clung to him. Well of course it did! He used to be Death Eater, and that wasn't something you just washed away with soap and water. The taint he had gained at the side of Voldemort would always be with him, no matter how dedicated he was to Dumbledore now.  
  
In truth, he hated the darkness that still radiated from him. With the exception of Dumbledore, no one would ever fully trust him. At least not until Voldemort was gone for good. As long as the dark lord was still slinking around, causing mischief, Severus Snape would be considered just one half of a step above being an enemy.  
  
Damn! If only he could have a cauldron and a few potion ingredients, he would at least be able to keep himself busy while he was trapped here. In truth, Ron could use some extra work in his potions, and there wasn't anything else important for the boy to be doing. Hermione, every studious and clever, was ahead of her fellow fifth years and Harry could probably soar through his class without even studying if he cared to. Weasley was more of a charms master than a potions master. Still, if he insisted on following Potter around into whatever dangerous adventure that lay just around the next corner, he needed a well rounded set of skills.  
  
'You're becoming soft, Severus. If you don't watch yourself, those children may discover you're not the heartless bastard you try so hard to be.'  
  
In truth, he didn't hate the students at Hogwarts. Quite the opposite. Though he would never go so far as to say he loved any of them, he would admit (at least to himself) that he held a warm place in the very darkest corner of his heart for them. He worried for them more than he would like to admit. Dumbledore knew this, but he kept it to himself, respecting his privacy. The truth behind his façade was far too dangerous.  
  
He didn't want anyone to be close to him, didn't want to run the risk of some innocent being used against him. Not like before. Not like when Voldemort had discovered he had betrayed him. He hadn't needed to kill Lily or Harry. He had done so only because he knew how much it would have pained Severus. That was why he was so cold to the boy. That was why he had to continue to pretend to hate the very sight of him when in truth he wanted nothing more than to watch over Lily's child as though he were his own.  
  
'Who are you trying to fool, Severus? Yourself? What kind of father could you ever be? What would you know about raising a son? James was a far better choice for such a position.'  
  
He was still brooding on this when he rounded a corner and nearly had his ear taken off by a speeding sphere of some shiny metal. He jerked in surprise and watched as the ball twisted and turned around various columns that acted as supports for a large, open hallway.  
  
A blur came zipping around the same posts, black robes flying as Ron soared on a flying disk, chasing the ball. It was larger than a snitch, and not quite as fast, but the boy's intent on catching it was just the same. Snape watched in stunned silence and the boy drew closer. closer. closer.  
  
Another blur of black robes zoomed past Ron and grabbed the sphere. "You'll have to be faster than that!" Harry laughed over his shoulder at his friend as he wove his way around the imposing columns.  
  
"Leviosa!" Of course, Harry was already in the air, but the charm did manage to buck the hover pad enough that he nearly went flying off of it. Hermione was on the other side of the great hall, and quickly sought cover behind the matching row of pillars. Snape could have sworn he heard her giggle.  
  
Or perhaps it was the laughter that was coming from above him that he heard. He raised his head and saw the tiny, green Jedi Master who seemed to lead the Council watching the children with glee. Flanking him were many of the other higher ranking Jedi he had been forced to suffer during their questioning. Each seemed to be taking his or her turn at throwing some challenge or another at the three students. It was obvious that the Jedi were busy putting the students through their paces, trying to see just how much they were capable of.  
  
Snape glared and moved to walk forward and address the Jedi, when a slender hand touched his shoulder. "I wouldn't. Besides, they are in no danger." He whirled around to glare at the person, and then found himself looking upwards at the tall, ever imposing Qui-Gon Jin. "The Council merely seeks to understand more about them and how they tap into the Force."  
  
"My answers to their questions weren't enough?" He allowed the venom to drip from his words, affecting his best disdainful glare. To his surprise, the tall man merely chuckled.  
  
"It is no use trying to pretend you hate all living things. At least not around me. I can read you as easily as a book, Professor. You would lay down your life for your students, just as I would lay down my own for my Padawan." The Jedi turned his gaze to the three students who were currently trying to see who could urge their hover pads to go the fastest. On their own, the levitation disks could only go so fast, it was the use of their innate Force talents that urged them to break their programmed limitations. "You should be proud of them, Professor. They are all three possessed of good and noble souls, and the Force has graced each. I foresee that they will accomplish a great many deeds in their lifetime."  
  
Snape turned his beady eyes back to the children, watching them for a long moment. "Yes, I know. We all know, even our enemies. Harry. there are always prophesies. That boy has a long, hard road before him, and should he fail. a great many will suffer."  
  
"You think he will fail?" The Jedi turned his wizened gaze to the other man, ignoring the taint of Darkness that clung to him, and instead focusing on the warmer, more trustworthy feelings there. He watched as the teacher seemed to weigh the boy's heart in his mind.  
  
"No, he will not fail. He has his mother's cleverness and skill, and he has his father's strength of will and hunger to strive. Nothing short of death will chain that boy down to mediocrity."  
  
"Then do not fear letting him know how you feel about him, Professor. Do not fear showing him when you approve. I made that mistake for a long time with Obi-Wan, and nearly crushed the spirit right out of him." The master grinned a sort of half grin. "If he is anything like my Padawan, and I'm wiling to hazard a guess that he is, then he routinely pushes you to distraction and leaves you wanting to rip out your hair at the roots."  
  
Snape rolled his eyes skyward. "If only you knew. That boy seems bound and determined to spend his entire scholastic career in the infirmary. I believe Madame Pomfrey even has bed linens with his name embroidered on them. If he isn't being pummeled by a bludger in a Quidditch match, then he's being hunted by some monster or another determined to have his blood. I'm surprised my hair is still black. I should be as white headed as Dumbledore himself. I even thought to have him expelled once, just to keep him safe."  
  
"Expulsion. I've never considered that tactic before. Perhaps a year or two banned from the Order may do Obi-Wan some good." The Jedi searched the crowd of older Padawans that had now gathered on the uppermost railing and found his apprentice. He noted the young man was closely watching Hermione, who had decided to torment Ron by animating about one half dozen wooden practice blades and setting them to chasing the boy about the hall. The tactic was met by the amused laughter of the Council members, even Master Windu. "I fear that being around your students has brought out a mischievous streak in him. I can sense that he's plotting some elaborate scheme involving the young lady and your Mr. Weasley."  
  
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Ron Weasley is suffering from classic denial in regards to Miss Granger. I do hope he doesn't come to his senses anytime soon. I'm not too sure that he's good enough for her. He may be from a wizarding family and she Muggle born, but settling down with a Weasley and playing mother to a small army would stifle her potential. Your Jedi sight is serving your well when it comes to that girl. There is no one bri."  
  
The discussion was cut off abruptly as Harry's voice yelped out suddenly. Snape whirled his head around to see what had happened. The boy had brought his hover pad to a stop and was rubbing the lightening shaped scar on his forehead, eyes clouded in concern. Both Ron and Hermione had stopped as well, upon seeing their friend's action.  
  
"H. Harry?" Hermione's voice was barely more than a whisper, but it traveled to Snape's ears as clearly as a morning church bell.  
  
"M. my scar. It's burning." The boy sounded uneasy. Qui-Gon frowned, noting the fine tension that had invaded the four visitors. From the corner of his eye, he saw the teacher pull his polished wand from the depths of his cloak.  
  
"What does it mean?"  
  
Snape swallowed hard as the three children, willing to forget any fears or animosities they held for the potions master, hurried to his side when he but simply nodded his head towards them. "It means that Voldemort has arrived." 


	6. Out of the Way

_Out of the Way_

"Could you please pass me that bowl, Sweetheart?"

"Of course, Darling."  Obi-Wan took hold of a large bowl of steamed falaa roots and handed them over to Hermione.  A young Padawan apprenticed to Master Jacobi blinked at them in confusion, then noted that the boy called 'Harry' was suddenly very interested in his food while the other boy was staring at them in something akin to shock, his ears becoming almost as red as his hair.  A quick 'look' using the Force and he got the joke, suddenly becoming very interested in his own food.

Harry rubbed the scar on his head worryingly, a frown creasing his brow.  "This isn't right.  This is our fight, not yours.  We shouldn't be dragging you into this."

"Of course you should.  The Jedi felt the Dark Side coming through that portal, Harry.  Darkness such as that is a threat to everyone, not just young wizards in training.  Besides, what if he succeeds in conquering your world and decides to come through a portal to attack our own?  It's best we meet this threat head on."

"Then why are we sitting here having dinner instead of looking for Voldemort?"  Hermione stabbed at the slices of roast on her plate.  She had thought it prudent not to ask what animal it was.

"Because the Master Jedi are meditating on the best course of action."

"Oh, that's easy."  Ron blushed and swallowed the mouthful of food he had started talking around under Hermione's withering glare.  "It's Voldemort we're talking about here.  Hit him hard and fast, and don't let him get a chance to hit you."

"Ron's right.  More talking won't solve anything.  We need to find him and hit him first."

"Harry, we don't even know where to begin looking.  We only know he's here.  We won't solve anything with you and Ron charging in like a couple of rampaging bulls."

"We wouldn't be alone.  We've got Snape.  Sure he's a slimy git with the personality of spoor mold, but he's a powerful wizard.  Dad always said that if he hadn't gotten a guilty conscience and come back to our side, Voldemort would've won the last time."

Obi-Wan pushed his now empty plate away, folding his arms on the tabletop to look at the two boys seated across from him.  "Be mindful of your feelings, young ones.  You could learn something from Hermione.  I know that you both believe she over-thinks the situation at times, but there is something to be said for stepping back and examining the problem at all angles.  Consider for a moment the sacrifices that have been made to keep you safe.  Your professor willingly dropped his appearance as one of this Voldemort's loyal followers, revealing his true loyalties, in order to keep the three of you safe.  If the two of you go rushing in blindly now, very likely getting yourselves seriously injured or even killed, then what use was the risk he took?"  

The boys looked down at their plates.  Harry pushed his away, suddenly no longer hungry.  Ron was silent for a moment, pushed his food around a few times, and then pushed his own plate away as well.  Hermione, still possessing a spotless conscience, took another savory bite of fruit, looking rather pleased at being right.

The doors behind them slid open with an electronic hiss, allowing Snape, Qui-Gon and Mace to enter the dining hall.  The trio walked over to the table and joined the students, reaching for their own meals.  Hermione, Ron and Harry turned expectantly to their professor.  Snape, for his part, ignored them.  Obi-Wan waited a moment, and then ventured a polite "Master?"

"Master Yoda is in meditation, searching the Force for some sign of where this Voldemort has gone off to.  From what Severus tells us, he is much like a Sith Lord, only he uses the same altered state of the Force that our guests do."  Qui-Gon offered a warm smile to the three children who were now listening to him with rapt attention.

"Those differences could very well win us this confrontation."  Snape helped himself to some of the steamed fruit, still not looking at the children.  "The Dark Lord is not prepared for what would be considered 'wandless magic' in our world nor would he expect light sabers.  He certainly will not be expecting such a formidable presence as the Jedi."  Something that looked suspiciously like a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.  "It's too bad we're cut off from our own world.  An enterprising soul could make a fortune selling tickets to this."

The jaws of the three Gryffindors fell open.  Had Professor Snape just made a _joke?  It was almost more than their young minds could comprehend when set against what they knew of his acerbic personality.  It wasn't just the joke, either.  Now that they looked more closely, the Potions Master actually looked, well, relaxed.  _

Obi-Wan noted their confusion and lowered his gaze before they could catch his smile.  Once he had regained hold of his sense of humor, he ventured an inquiry.  "Masters, perhaps I could take the students on an excursion outside of the temple.  It would only be for a few hours and it might help them to clear their minds of the situation."  _And serve to keep them out from underfoot while you make your plans.  This last was sent to Qui-Gon and Mace, who both nodded._

"An excellent idea, Padawan Kenobi.  The distraction now will help them better focus later when we need them."

"But not too far, Obi-Wan.  The city is no safer for strangers than it is for citizens."  Qui-Gon gave an affection squeeze to his student's shoulder and a fatherly smile to the three teens.  "And the city certainly isn't prepared for these three."

"Don't worry.  I plan to put the boys on leashes.  I don't expect any trouble from Hermione," Obi-Wan looked down at the girl with a grin, "do I, Darling?"

"None at all, Obi."  She smiled sweetly up at him, ignoring the outraged squawk from Ron.  Harry almost lost a battle to hold back his sniggers until one of her delicate fingers gave him a hard poke in the back of his ribs.  The Jedi pretended not to notice, with the exception of Master Windu who only gave the young Padawan a stern frown that appeared to go unnoticed.

"Then let's be off."  Obi-Wan gathered his dishes to take them to the window before getting up, his guests following suit.  "There are some places I can think of that I'm sure you'll find entertaining, and we'll head over to the Senate building for Hermione."  They turned in their trays and headed out through the doors of the cafeteria.  He led them through the grand, sweeping corridors of the temple past classrooms where younger students learned basic skills before being chosen.  The teens were trying to take everything in as they glided over the polished marble floors, down an elegant staircase and finally turning down another corridor.  In time, they reached a kind of docking area where vehicles designed for travel within the planet's atmosphere were held.  Obi-Wan chose an open top speeder with seating for six.  "Everyone climb in."

Harry, Ron and Hermione clambered inside.  Harry noticed that Ron made a point of sitting up front next to Obi-Wan, thereby keeping Hermione from doing so, but he felt it best not to point this out.  From the smile on Hermione's face, he guessed she noticed it as well.  They shouldn't be taking so much pleasure in Ron's obvious jealousy, but if the boy was too thick to come out and admit that he liked Hermione as more than a friend it was hardly their fault.  Obi-Wan seemed more than willing to help keep things rolling.    
  


"Uhm… Obi-Wan… where are the seat belts?"  
  


"The what?"

Hermione was still looking in her seat.  "The seat belts, the straps to hold you in so you don't fall out."

"Oh, there's nothing like that in a speeder, other than a weak force field for emergencies.  Don't worry; I'm a rather good pilot in spite of what Master Qui-Gon says."  He winked over his shoulder at her before he turned on the thrusters and began to pull out of the dock.  Hermione didn't look at all calmed by his claims.

"Obi-Wan, where are we going first?"  Harry stretched tall in his seat, trying to see what was directly ahead of them as they entered the teeming traffic lanes seamlessly.

"I thought we'd take a look at the ship yards first, let you see how these speeders are made.  We can also go to the Galactic Botanical Gardens, they have the largest collection of plant specimens from all over the Republic, and if you promise no to tell your professor or my master, we can take a brief rest at one of the clubs that broadcasts the pod races.  I think you and Ron will enjoy those, they're fast and dangerous, much like your Quidditch sounds as though it must be."

"And then the Senate?"  Hermione's voice wasn't as confident as it usually was, but she did sound interested.  Obi-Wan chuckled.

"And then the Senate, Hermione.  I think you'll find the running of the Republic quite different from what you're used to.  Senators from every planet in the Republic gathering together to shout about what's wrong with the Republic and what should be done about it, but never actually managing to get anything accomplished."

"Huh."  Harry was now looking at the tall buildings as they went whizzing by.  "Sounds like Parliament."


End file.
